Heathrow to face its busiest day ever due to Olympics
Wednesday 22 Feb 2012 | By Gosh Media
London Heathrow, the UK's flagship airport, has published details of its strategy to deal with increased passenger numbers during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
August 13 - the day following the Olympic Games' closing ceremony - is expected to be the busiest day in Heathrow's history, with some 138,000 passengers with approximately 203,000 bags being expected to pass through.
Heathrow's owner, BAA, is investing over £20 million in the Olympic preparations, which include a dedicated Olympics terminal that will be constructed on site between Terminals 4 and 5. In addition, extra lifts will be put in place for the benefit of Paralympic competitors in wheelchairs, plus there will be more facilities for the press and some 1,000 additional temporary staff to help cope with the 10,100 international athletes and their 37,900 bags. BAA will also be encouraging athletes to check in their luggage the night before departure at sites within the Olympic village itself.
The runways will be at capacity during the peak periods and the operational staff at Heathrow will undoubtedly be devoting additional resources to runway services such as refuelling, baggage loading and aviation rubber removal. Due to lack of airfield capacity during the Olympic period, charter flights and private jets will use other airports including Stansted.
Commented Nick Cole, Head of Olympic and Paralympic Planning for Heathrow, "Every part of the airport is working together to ensure we can give the athletes a warm welcome and ensure all passengers enjoy the atmosphere." The airport is keen to demonstrate that it can handle the extra traffic and avoid the bad press it experienced following the problematic opening of Terminal 5 back in 2008. "There are hundreds of companies who operate here," said Nick Cole, "94 airlines, countless retailers, bus and train companies, and the UK Border Agency. Uniting us into a common purpose has been the biggest challenge of my job to date."
Oversized sports equipment - such as canoes and bicycles - are set to test the airport's baggage-handling systems, but perhaps the greatest problem will be posed by the firearms required for the shooting events. To ensure security, some 1,000 firearms will be made safe before being transported directly from Heathrow to the Olympic shooting venue at the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, where the UK Border Agency will perform all the necessary checks and paperwork. Some 390 athletes are expected to bring 780 firearms for the Olympics, while a further 140 athletes will import 20 firearms for the Paralympics.
It is clear that this summer Heathrow faces its biggest challenge to date and the stakes are high - the airport will be both the first and last impression of the UK as host country for international visitors.
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